


Breath

by ladyshadowdrake



Category: Leverage
Genre: Falling into bed, Multi, Nightmares, Protective Eliot Spencer, Short, fitting together, not always the way you think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-06
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-03-16 15:10:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3492950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyshadowdrake/pseuds/ladyshadowdrake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eliot can't protect Alec from nightmares, but he can be there to comfort him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breath

**Author's Note:**

> I'll probably get around to expanding this eventually, but for now we'll leave it where it is.

Eliot lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling, abruptly wide awake and not sure why. Breathing slowly and quietly, he listened for the scuffle of an unfamiliar footstep that would give away an intruder. There were only the sounds of the old building settling and the normal nighttime noises of the street below, but something woke him, something was wrong. If there was someone trying to sneak into the apartment or the bar, they sure picked the wrong place to burglarize. A soft sound caught his attention and his head jerked to the side, listening. There, again, a tiny whimper.

Eliot’s feet hit the floor before he even consciously identified it as Hardison. He met Parker in the hallway, her eyebrows creased and body language uncertain. Her eyes met his in the glow of the hall nightlight, silently begging. She didn’t need to say anything; Eliot passed her into the bedroom she shared with Hardison, and she followed after him with her arms folded over her stomach. Their room was weird, a mishmash of computers and climbing gear, the tall walls lined with carabineer hooks, and a hammock set high in one corner occupied by Parker’s stuffed rabbit. In the king sized bed, Alec’s hands twisted in the sheets, coated in sweat, chest laboring, breath coming out in pants and whines. Without a moment’s hesitation, Eliot crossed the room and pulled the blankets back, sliding between the sheets.

“Hardison, wake up,” he called softly, mostly just so Alec knew he was there and didn’t panic in his sleep. Alec only shuddered and lay as though paralyzed.  Eliot cautiously eased his arm under Alec’s neck and fitted himself to Alec’s side. “I’m here for you, you’re okay, you’re not underground,” he soothed, and continued to murmur nonsense, curling protectively over Alec’s body.

Gesturing to get Parker’s attention, Eliot whispered, “Open the window.”

“It’s thirty degrees outside,” Parker argued, watching Alec in helpless concern.

“Open the window, get some air moving in here.” Eliot didn’t watch to see if she still hesitated, but grabbed a corner of the sheet and used it to mop the sweat off Alec’s forehead. The window opened smoothly on a well-oiled track, letting in a gust of chilly air. Alec jerked and shivered, but took a gasping breath. His muscles unlocked one-by-one, the tremors subsided, and he melted into Eliot’s body all at once, twisting to wrap around him. Eliot probably wouldn’t have heard the first sob at all if Alec’s face wasn’t pressed into his neck, mouth open and wet on his skin. Eliot made soft shushing sounds that were never intended for anything other than the comfort of another human’s breath, proof of life. He petted Alec’s neck and rocked him slowly, asking nothing.

It seemed like hours, but it was probably only minutes before Alec fell back to sleep. Eliot rested his cheek on the top of Alec’s head and continued the small rocking motion. He heard a shuffle and looked up to see Parker in her shorts and tank top, shifting her weight uncomfortably while she looked down at them. Eliot briefly lifted his hand from Alec’s neck and patted the sheets. Parker hesitated, but when Eliot jerked his head in a silent order, she climbed back into the bed. Alec reached back in his sleep and grabbed her hip, pulling her against him.

“You should just move in,” Parker said softly.

Eliot pretended not to hear her. She sighed, cuddled tighter to Alec’s back, and reached across him to curl one tiny-fingered hand around Eliot’s wrist. Even with the window open, it was too warm with Alec wrapped around him like an overgrown starfish, but Eliot stayed where he was and tried not to admit that he slept better with their hands on him.  

**Author's Note:**

> I am on tumblr here: http://lightshadowverisimilitude.tumblr.com/


End file.
